Drones and Artificial Intelligence to the Rescue of Birds in Agricultural Settings

Ground nests of birds in rural areas are vulnerable to agricultural activities and machinery that plow fields every spring. Researchers have developed a new system that, when paired with drones already used for precision agriculture, could automate and integrate nest detection to protect them. Bird populations in agricultural areas are declining across most of Europe. Birds that nest on the ground are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to agricultural activities and machinery that till the soil. Locating ground nests is time-consuming and requires precise, painstaking work with the naked eye. To assist with this manual labor, researchers flew a drone equipped with a thermal camera over farmland to capture images. Processed by an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of accurately identifying nests, these images make it possible to locate and protect these precious structures. At least at high latitudes, the temperature of these nests is generally higher than that of the surrounding environment. As a result, thermal cameras can highlight them. However, vegetation and objects on the ground can obstruct the thermal view. Artificial intelligence helps analyze thermal images that are often obscured or ambiguous . Tested in southern Finland, near the University of Helsinki’s Lammi Biological Station, the drone-mounted system works best in cloudy, cold weather or on flat terrain. Drones and similar technologies are highly sought-after new tools not only for species conservation but also in the agricultural sector. Used to map, track, and monitor crops, maximize production, or observe the spread of disease in near real time, drones are an integral part of precision agriculture, a new and popular method of agricultural production. Fully integrating the bird nest detection system with these technologies is not out of reach and is relatively simple. It would then be possible to automate a system to protect endangered nests within the precision agriculture framework already in use. Consequently, the detection and protection of nests against the mechanical destruction inherent in agricultural production will become a fully automated and integrated part of food production.